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Roadshow Concepts seeks secondhand-dealer license for Winter Street events; council refers application to License & Franchise Committee
Summary
Roadshow Concepts told the council it runs multi-day events offering free evaluations and potential purchases, operates across Massachusetts, and has discussed inventory and reporting protocols with police; councilors questioned advertising radius, hold periods for bought items, and licensing duration, then referred the application to the License & Franchise Committee.
A representative for Roadshow Concepts sought an annual secondhand-dealer license to operate short-term buying events at 550 Winter Street.
Amy Morgan described the business model as multi-day events (typically five days), open to the public without appointment, often held in hotel ballrooms. "We have been operating in about all 50 states now for over 15 years," Morgan said, adding they usually see "about 10 to 20 people a day" at similar events. Councilors asked whether the operation had discussed inventory and reporting protocols with the police; Morgan said the company provides printed receipts and can log transactions to a national database if the city requests it. She said holding periods for merchandise before resale vary but are generally between seven and 30 days and that standard practice in their Chicago facility is 30 days.
Councillors also questioned whether the license should be limited in time (temporary vs. annual) given the non–brick-and-mortar nature of the event; the clerk and council indicated the ordinance presumes a permanent location and the council will need to determine how to treat transient events. The council closed the hearing and referred the matter to the License & Franchise Committee, which will consider whether to permit annual renewals or establish a temporary-licensing process for itinerant secondhand dealers.
